Stopperless water bottle or the like



Dec. 23, 1952 D. J. MILLER 2,622,646

STOPPERLESS WATER BOTTLE OR THE LIKE Filed July 10, 1947 i '5 "WWMM 5&4

Patented Dec. 23, 1952 STOPPERLESS WATER BOTTLE OR THE LIKE Donald J. Miller, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to the B. F. Goodrich Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of New York Application July 10, 1947, Serial No. 760,156

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a fluid container of the stopperless type and is particularly concerned with a fluid container such as a water bottle or the like having an elongated neck adapted to be invaginated.

Water bottles conventionally are provided with an internally threaded throat orifice which is closed by an inflexible screw type stopper. Since it is desirable for a water bottle to have a relatively flat configuration, the throat orifice is necessarily small with a resultant decrease in case of filling and emptying the bottle. In addition, the screw type stopper is readily loosened allowing water to leak out. This is a serious disadvantage particularly in the use of such bottles in hospitals where the patient may be irrational.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a fluid container of the stopperless type which is adapted to lie flat and which has no bulky closure means. A further object is to provide a container in which outwardly exerted. fluid pressure in the container tends to close the throat orifice while at the same tim providing a container which is readily filled and emptied. Other objects will be apparent from the description which follows.

I have discovered that the foregoing objects are attained by a water bottle consisting of a receptacle for water having an elongated neck with a threat orifice of sufiicient size to permit rapid filling and emptying of the bottle, at least a portion of the neck being of flexible material so that the flexible portion can be invaginated in the remainder of the neck, preferably to extend into the receptacle itself so that outwardly exerted fluid pressure in the receptacle presses together the walls of the invaginated portion to prevent the Water from escaping.

The invention is best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a water bottle which is a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation partly broken away and in section of a water bottle with the neck fully extended for fillin or emptying the bottle;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a. section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View in elevation partly broken away and in section showing the bottle with a portion of the neck invaginated;

Fig. 5 is a section on line of Fig. i;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the bottle with the neck closed by a flat clamp, the invaginated neck portion being indicated broken lines; and

Fig. 7 is a view on line l-l of Fig. 6.

A water bottle constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 1 consists of a flexible thin-walled bag it, the bag having a normally flat cross-section. The bag IE5 is constricted at one end to form a neck l I of normally flat cross-section which is of sufficient size to permit rapid filling and emptying of the bag it. The bag and neck preferably consist of a vulcanized composition of natural or synthetic rubber although any flexible water-impervious material may be used, as for example plasticized polyvinyl chloride, rubber-coated fabric, etc. The bag and neck may be of any desired wall thickness; but when made of rubber, the wall thickness preferably is 0.025-O.125 inch.

In the preferred embodiment, a supplemental portion It is joined. to the neck Ii and forms an extension thereof. Supplemental portion E3 is also of flexible rubbery material and preferably has thinner walls than the neck H. The supplemental portion it is preferably of generally flat uniform cross-section; and in the preferred embodiment, the longitudinal edges are inwardly curved as shown in Fig. 2 so that the portion lies substantially flat with the walls in facewise contact when the portion is turned inside out. If desired, the neck l! and supplemental portion l3 may be a single elongated neck member of substantially uniform thickness or may taper out to a thin end portion.

The outer portion 53 being relatively thin and flexible is adapted to be invaginated in the neck H and is preferably long enough so that it extends into the bag when invaginated. When the portion i3 is in the invaginated condition, outwardly exerted fluid pressure in neck ll presses together the walls of the portion 53 so that increasing pressure closes the orifice more tightly and prevents leakage of the Water, contrary to the behavior encountered with stoppered bottles. If desired, the entire neck may be flexible so that the whole neck may be invaginated in the bag.

A rigid clamping means It is provided to press the neck I i together when the neck portion is in the invaginated condition. The clamping means it serves a twofold purpose. It prevents seepage of water when the invaginated portion is under little or no pressure and it prevents the invagihated portion from being forced outwardly into the extended condition by pressure of the fluid. Clamping means it may comprise any suitable means for pressing together a transverse zone of neck H but preferably consists of a pair of hinged straps is adapted to lie on each side of neck l l and a channel clip it mounted on one of the straps. by a swivel pin I? and adapted to hold straps i5, i5 tightly against neck H. Such a clamping means, as shown in Fig, 6, is not bulky and does not cause discomfort when the bottle is placed under a patient.

In using the water bottle embodying the invention, the supplemental portion is fully extended, as shown in Fig. 1, while the bottle is being filled to provide a filling spout of substantial diameter by means of which the bottle is rapidly filled. The supplemental portion is then invaginated and the clamping means secured around the neck of the bottle. When the bottle is to be emptied, the clamping means is removed and the fluid-filled bottle is squeezed until the outwardly-exerted fluid pressure in the neck pushes the invaginated portion outwardly into the fully extended condition so that the body of the bottle may be quickly emptied.

The bottle may be made by molding the body and neck in a single piece with the outer portion of the neck being molded thin enough to serve as an invaginable portion. Preferably the body and neck are deposited on a suitably shaped form by dipping the form in an aqueous disper sion of rubbery material and the outer neck portion is deposited as a separate piece on another form both parts being formed in a flat condition. The outer neck portion is then turned inside out to give the preferred inwardly curved longitudinal edges and is positioned so that its lower margin overlaps the neck. The neck is then vulcanized to give a unitary article in which the outer portion lies substantially flat when inva-ginated in theneck of the article.

Alternatively, the entire article may be de posited on a suitably shaped form having an elongated neck portion, the body and neck proper being immersed for a longer time than the outer neck portion to attain the desired variation in thickness by which the outer portion is flexible enough to be readily invaginable.

The invention may be embodied in any fluid container where it is desirable to have a large filling orifice without the use of a bulky closure means. Any article embodying this invention is readily filled and emptied but resists leakage of fluid material from the body of the article while in use.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that variations and modifications may be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fluid container having a body member, and a flexible resilient neck member extending from said body member for use in filling and emptying said container, at least that portion of said neck member remote from said body member being reversible to and from a position in which the mouth of said neck member is directed inwardly, said portion of the neck member being permanently biased toward a configuration in which the lips of said neck member, in its inwardly directed position, lie substantially in a plane flat against each other free from wrinkles to seal said container and prevent said fluid from passing outwardly through said neck member.

2. A water bottle having a relatively wide flat body member of flexible resilient rubber-like material, and a relatively narrow neck member of flexible resilient rubber-like material extending from said body member for use in filling and emptying said bottle, the portion of said neck member remote from said body member being reversible to and from an invaginated position in which the mouth of said neck member is directed inwardly and lies within said body memher, said portion of the neck member being permanently biased toward said invaginated position in which the opposed walls of said neck member lie substantially in a plane fiat against each other free from wrinkles to seal said bottle and prevent the escape of water therefrom.

DONALD J. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 172,039 Lazarevitch Jan. 11, 1876 1,652,457 Reach Dec. 13, 1927 1,787,710 Wilson Jan. 6, 1931 1,820,582 Strayer Aug. 25, 1931 1,942,959 Fenton Jan. 9, 1934 2,215,392 Freeman Sept. 17, 1940 2,253,571 Miller Aug. 26, 1941 2,273,128 Madsen et a1 Feb. 17, 1942 2,356,602 Madsen Aug. 22, 1944 

